The second Northeast Ohio full-power analog signal to leave the airwaves is about to do so.As scheduled, Western Reserve PBS' WNEO/45 Alliance, the Youngstown market half of the Kent-based public TV operation, will shut down the analog Channel 45 transmitter on Wednesday morning - for good - to prepare for an upgrade to the digital WNEO signal, which will move from digital channel 46 to digital channel 45.OMW hears from our friends at Western Reserve PBS that the analog 45 signal will go dark at … [Read more...]
Cincinnati Way
Posted on November 18, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Our primary focus here at OMW is Northeast Ohio, covering the radio and TV stations (and other media) of the Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown areas.We'll occasionally run items from other parts of Ohio, as far afield as Toledo, Lima and Cincinnati, but we don't really have all that many sources in other parts of the state.That's one reason we wholeheartedly welcome a new media blog that focuses on Cincinnati, Southwest Ohio and nearby areas.Check it out at Tri-State Media … [Read more...]
New Ohio Radio Ratings?
Posted on November 18, 2008 · Leave a Comment
The folks at Arbitron will get some competition for radio ratings starting next year - and it will affect one Ohio market.The New York Times reports that Nielsen, better known for its TV ratings, will provide radio audience measurement in 50 "small and midsize markets" starting in the third quarter of 2009, in a deal with radio group owner Cumulus, which has been seeking an Arbitron alternative for some time.The Times also reports that in 17 of those markets, Clear Channel's radio stations will … [Read more...]
Out Of The Chute
Posted on November 17, 2008 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 11/17/08 9:50 PM: Two alert readers with the ability to pick up Youngstown market stations tell us that Clear Channel classic hits WBBG/106.1 Niles "Big 106.1" flipped to holiday tunes late last week. We've confirmed the switch by going to the station's website, and listening online.The station is now positioning for the season as "Youngstown-Warren's Christmas Music Channel"...-----------...for a Monday, with some newsy and some random items. Or maybe the title should be "Down The … [Read more...]
Friday Grab Bag
Posted on November 14, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Rounding out our week...NO 58: With the digital side of Western Reserve PBS' WNEO/45 Alliance off the air this week in preparation for the station's early digital switchover, one of our readers noticed that the public TV outlet's Youngstown-based low-power translator is also off the air.OMW has confirmed that the translator, known legally as W58AM and serving low-lying areas of the Mahoning Valley that may be shadowed from WNEO, is indeed off the air due to transmitter problems...and has been … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: WSTB Back
Posted on November 13, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Exactly one month after it was pulled off the air, Streetsboro City Schools station WSTB/88.9 Streetsboro has returned to the airwaves.OMW hears that WSTB went back on the air late Thursday afternoon, and a quick check of the radio confirms its return, with the regular alt-rock "AlterNation" format that airs Monday through Saturday on the station operated out of Streetsboro High School.OMW also hears that the return of WSTB does also mean the return of the station's "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" … [Read more...]
CBS Radio Cleveland Changes
Posted on November 12, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Some interesting changes are afoot among CBS Radio's four Cleveland stations.The first involves AC WDOK/102.1 "Soft Rock 102.1" and hot AC WQAL/104.1 "Q104" program director Dave Popovich, as he takes on the additional role of director of programming for the entire CBS Radio cluster in Cleveland - which also puts alt-rock WKRK/92.3 "K-Rock" and classic rock WNCX/98.5 under his oversight.There's no word at this time what this means for the existing PDs at "K-Rock" ("Nard") and WNCX (Bill … [Read more...]
Craig Couch Exits WLKR
Posted on November 12, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Morning host and program director Craig Couch has left Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting AAA WLKR/95.3 Norwalk (and sister sports WLKR/1510 "ESPN 1510").Unlike a number of recent radio departures, Couch tells OMW that the exit was his own idea, as he's leaving the radio business. He tells us:All-in-all, my 10-year career (started at AM930 WEOL) has been a terrific experience. I can't say enough about the good people at WEOL, WNWV, WKFM, WLKR-FM & WLKR-AM. I am happy to call many of them friends. … [Read more...]
A Service To Our XM Subscribers
Posted on November 11, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Other than one small part, this isn't connected to Ohio radio.But we figured if the folks at Sirius XM won't do it, we'd give our readers who subscribe to XM Satellite Radio the heads up...the service's music lineup changes, drastically, tomorrow.We won't get into the details, but we found a new leaked (PDF format) lineup here, and a leaked (PDF format) FAQ about the XM lineup changes here.The links are from an unofficial fan site run by XM users, where users are discussing the changes here.The … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: Herb Score Dies
Posted on November 11, 2008 · Leave a Comment
The man whose voice carried the sounds of Cleveland Indians baseball to generations of Northeast Ohio radio listeners has passed away.The Cleveland Indians confirm that Herb Score, who called the Indians' games on radio (and initially, on TV) from 1964 through Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, died this morning at his Rocky River home at the age of 75 after a long illness.The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a detailed obituary for Score here.The team expressed its condolences in a statement by team … [Read more...]
